By KEVIN NEVERS

The Town of Chesterton has grown by 39 acres.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Town Council voted 4-0 on its first reading to approve an ordinance annexing property owned by Larry and Christine Wright and located on the south side of C.R. 1050N in Crocker, immediately west of the Abercrombie Woods subdivision, then 4-0 to approve that ordinance on its final reading.

Member Jim Ton, R-1st, was not in attendance. The ordinance had been previously introduced at the Town Council’s last meeting.

Prior to that vote, members voted 5-0 to approve a revised annexation agreement with the Wrights. That revised agreement makes two significant changes to the original document:

•The first change eliminates all language referring to potential uses of the annexation area. The original document had proposed 45 R-1 units, 20 R-2 units, and a six-unit R-3 building. It had also proposed to develop the westernmost 15 acres with B-3 uses and allow for a convenience store with gas pumps, a drive-through facility for a bank or restaurant, and outside storage on the extreme western edge of the property.

•The second change stipulates that no development shall take place at all except through a planned unit development ordinance to be negotiated by the Advisory Plan Commission and approved by the Town Council.

According to a fiscal plan prepared at the Wrights’ expense by H.J. Umbaugh & Associates, in 2012 the town is expected to spend $45,558 on municipal services in the annexation area but receive $97,482 in revenues, for a surplus a $51,924.

Olson Farms LLC

In other business, members voted 4-0 to set a public hearing on the petition of Olson Farms LLC for the annexation of the second and final phase of the property formerly known as the Olson Farm, the easternmost portion of a parcel located at the terminus of East Porter Ave., immediately east of C.R. 250E (Friday Road).

The Town Council has already annexed the first phase of the property, the westernmost 67 acres. The second phase comprises nearly 66 acres.

Olson Farms LLC, whose principals are Vlad and Eric Gastevich, has proposed construction of a 360-unit single-family planned unit development to be negotiated with the Advisory Plan Commission and approved by the Town Council. The Gasteviches will pledged to undertake the following under terms of the annexation agreement:

•Donate 20 acres of land, located in the area of C.R. 1050N and C.R. 250E, to the Parks and Recreation Department, to jumpstart a park esat of Ind. 49, exceeding the minimum donation required under Town Code by 13 aces.

•Pay any parks and impact fee which may be enacted.

•Make an additional $200 per unit payment to the town, for a total of $68,400, to defray the cost of acquiring new equipment to service the subdivision.

According to a fiscal plan prepared at the Gasteviches’ expense by Umbaugh, the annual cost of hiring new municipal employees to serve the subdivision would total $428,108, with vehicle and equipment purchases totaling at least $228,000 in additional expense. To fund those employees and purchases, the Town Council is contemplating an excess levy appeal for pay-2009 of $264,651, the fiscal plan states.

Public Hearing Postponed

Meanwhile, the public hearing on the petition of I-80 Partners LLC for the annexation of 45 acres of property immediately south of the Indiana Toll Road and east of Ind. 49, scheduled for 7 p.m. June 11, has been postponed.

Town Attorney Chuck Lukmann told the Town Council that he has no yet received a proper legal description of the property in question. Members did not re-schedule the public hearing.

Attorney Cliff Fleming, representing I-80 Partners, has indicated that his clients want to develop a mixed-use residential and commercial project in the annexation area.

Posted 5/30/2007